Dr. Sally K. Ride of Stanford, CA was the first American woman astronaut. She served as a crew member aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger when it was launched on June 18, 1983. Valentina V. Tereshkova of the Soviet Union became the first woman from any country to fly in space on June 18, 1983.

Source: Famous First Facts: A Record of First Happenings, Discoveries, and Inventions in American History, 1997, p.530, Joseph Nathan Kane, 031.02 K132F 5th ED

3. Who was the first African American woman astronaut?

Mae C. Jemison, from Chicago, IL, was the first African American woman astronaut. On September 12, 1992 she boarded the space shuttle Endeavor.

In 1832, Willis Eye Hospital was founded in Philadelphia. It was the first ophthalmology hospital in the country. Willis Eye Hospital played an important role in establishing ophthalmology as a separate medical specialty.